News Briefs
Dick Young Honored For Lifetime of Excellence
Longtime Park Hill resident and activist Dick Young has received the Standard Bearer Lincoln Award for “outstanding lifetime achievement and excellence by a veteran in exemplifying selfless service.”
Young was honored on Jan. 7 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. at a National Friars Club Foundation celebration hosted by NBC’s Brian Williams. The event will be televised nationally on PBS on or around March 5.
In giving Mr. Young the award, the awards committee issued the following:
“One unrelenting, effective champion whom our military veterans can count on is Rear Admiral (Retired) Dick Young. A staunch, pragmatic advocate for veterans returning home, Dick heads the Colorado Committee of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). His herculean and tireless efforts have made substantial improvements and impacts in his community, the state of Colorado, and our nation’s military.
“Retired Rear Admiral Young, now 83 and going strong, has been an active volunteer throughout his entire adult life. He served 35 years in the U.S. Navy, both Active and Reserve, and was awarded the Legion of Merit Award three times, one of the highest peacetime awards a Navy Reservist can receive. In further recognition of his superior service, Admiral Young received the National Navy League’s John Paul Jones Inspirational Leadership Award in 1988, the only Naval Reservist to ever receive the National League’s highest award.
“Since becoming the Colorado State ESGR Chair in 2009, Admiral Young has devoted over 8700 hours in organizing, leading, and running Colorado’s ESGR. He built the organization from a small handful of Volunteers to a force of over 210, the largest ESGR State Committee in the country. This powerhouse team raised the bar from 1300 Volunteer hours in 2008 to 13,500 in 2013, all helping our military members.”
Biomedics Coming To Manual High
Kaiser Permanente has made a three-year, $650,000 grant to Denver Public Schools to help build a college and career-readiness pipeline in the biomedical field. The program is designed to prepare students for success in an industry that projects significant growth in Denver over the next 10 years. The initial goal is to reach more than 2,000 students throughout the course of the three-year grant.
Students participating in the program will have access to a variety of career pathway options, including preparation to enter four-year college programs. Students may also choose programs that will enable them to enter the health care workforce immediately after high school. This option provides the opportunity to earn an associate’s degree and certification in certain medical professions, including Certified Nurse’s Assistant (CNA), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and Physical Therapist Aide (PTA).
Biomedical pathways will launch at four DPS schools where there is a demonstrated need, including at Manual High School west of Park Hill. Manual High School serves a diverse student population and will offer a biomedical program to capitalize on its proximity to many of the city’s hospitals.
Additional schools that will participate include Florence Crittenton in southwest Denver, CEC Middle College in northwest Denver and Compassion Road in downtown Denver.
The biomedical industry in the Denver metro area has grown more than 22 percent over the past five years, and is home to 18,860 companies and 10 medical research institutions, with a total of 191,440 jobs. As the Denver metro health sector grows over the next 10 years, there will be more than 4,300 job openings on average annually.
“We have clearly identified CTE pathways as an integral part of our strategy to develop rigorous STEM programs that will prepare our students for college and career, especially in the very fields in the highest demand for our community right here in Denver,” said DPS Superintendent Tom Boasberg.
“This program will provide students from underserved communities in Denver with an opportunity to prepare for a career in health–one of the fastest growing industries in our state. Colorado needs a well-educated and well-trained workforce of the future,” said Donna Lynne, president of Kaiser Permanente Colorado.
East High Students Receive Nate’s Pass
Thanks to the Nathan Yip Foundation, nearly 350 East High School students have benefited from the new RTD/Nate’s Pass, which subsidizes the cost of an RTD bus pass for student transportation to and from school.
The Nathan Yip Foundation, a Colorado nonprofit founded in 2002, by Denver residents Jimmy and Linda Yip, is underwriting the cost to provide the RTD bus passes – fondly called Nate’s Pass – for the next three school years for all qualified students.
The Yips lost their only son, Nathan, in an automobile accident. They built the foundation in his name to provide educational access, empowerment and ongoing support to youth throughout the world.
From the mountainous villages of China, to rural Mexico and Africa, to its home state of Colorado, the Foundation has been making a difference in the lives of children.
The program is the result of a partnership between East High School’s Student Assistance Fund (SAF) and the Nathan Yip Foundation introduces Nate’s Pass,
Since 2004, East High School students who demonstrate need, good grades and high attendance have received partial support for their transportation through the innovative Student Assistance Fund. The program aims to remove all economic barriers to students’ high school success and serves more than 600 vulnerable or at-risk students.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with the Student Assistance Fund at East High School and making a difference in the lives of students in Colorado,” said Jimmy Yip. “This is our dream, to keep Nathan’s spirit alive and provide educational access to young people who can make a difference in our world.”
On Feb. 21, the Nathan Yip Foundation will hold its annual Chinese New Year Fundraiser. The event is open to the public. For tickets and more information, visit www.nathanyipfoundation.org or call 303-817-8400.
Determined, Focused, Bound For Success
The Ethnic College Counseling Center is sponsoring a College Fair on March 7 at East High School.
In all, 89 Historical Black Colleges and Universities will be represented at the daylong fair. The theme this year is “Raising the Bar—Determined, Focused and Bound for Success.”
There will be recruiters on hand from many of the colleges and universities. Information and workshops on college preparation and financial resources will also be offered.
Seniors who bring a valid transcript may be admitted on the spot. Scholarships may also be awarded.
A registration fee of $5 is being charged for registrations received by Feb. 27. Registrations received after that day are $7. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided to those attending the workshops and College Fair.
The nonprofit Ethnic College Counseling Center prepares middle and high school students for post-secondary education beyond high school.
The ECCC was founded in 1983 by the late Pensal McCray and her husband, the late Dr. Christophe J. McCray.
Now in its 32nd year, the Center has assisted over 3,000 students nationwide, introducing them to careers and colleges through various workshops, summer enrichment programs, college tours, college fairs, and family retreats.
Registration can be made online at www.ethniccollegecounselingcenter.org, or call 303-550-5088 for more information.
Free Tax Preparation Help Available
The Denver Asset Building Coalition is offering free tax preparation assistance to families earning less than $52,000, and single filers earning less than $35,000.
A drop-off/pick-up site has been set up at 3399 Holly St., Suite #130, inside the Vickers Boys & Girls Club in Northeast Park Hill, just down the hallway from the Mi Casa Innovation Lab.
The location will be open Jan. 29 through April 2, every Thursday from noon to 4 p.m. Visit www.DenverABC.org or call (303) 388-7030 to learn more.